The present invention relates generally to utensils, and more particularly to a heat-resistant utensil with a flexible blade portion.
Utensils, especially spatulas and similar structures, have long been used in food preparation. They are used in a variety of situations, from mixing ingredients to dispensing foods. These utensils are also used in a wide variety of non-cooking applications. This may include laboratory or medical uses, where the utensil is used to dispense drugs, other chemical compounds, or liquids. Generally, the utensil is useful in situations where a flexible tool is required to cleanly and easily remove material sticking to the side of a container. A typical utensil has a rigid handle and a flexible blade which comes in contact with food. Those utensils meeting certain heat tolerance requirements are termed "heat-resistant" by their manufacturers.
Conventional utensils such as spatulas and other similar products, that are not heat-resistant, suffer severe damage in cooking applications. This includes partial or total melting of the blade or handle when subjected to high cooking temperatures. This may happen if the head comes in contact with the bottom of the pan or if the temperature of the food gets very high. These utensils are usually not used in cooking, but are generally reserved for dispensing cooked foods, or for working with cold foods.
Current designs of heat-resistant utensils also suffer certain disadvantages. The high heat of cooking eventually causes the utensils to deteriorate. This deterioration may come in the form of a brittle blade and small cracks along the areas where the blade is flexed. Once the blade begins cracking, minute rubber pieces could break off and fall into food. The blade may also become permanently bent if left in an awkward shape for extended periods of time, as may happen when thrown in a kitchen drawer. Another problem is the damaging effect that various chemicals and food ingredients have on the blade. In many cooking applications, spices and other chemicals can permanently discolor the blade. These chemicals may also cause the blade to crack in the portions that come in frequent contact with the chemicals. The cracks in the blade can become permanently stained thereby making the utensil unsightly and cause it to eventually crumble into pieces. Furthermore, most heat-resistant utensils have wooden handles. While the wooden handles are heat-resistant, they sometimes scorch when left in contact with the pan, leaving dark burn marks. Additionally, wooden handles have a tendency of discoloring or picking up odors of pungent foods and spices that they come into contact with. Dishwashing machines may also be detrimental to the finish of the wooden handle by ruining the finish or drying out the wood.
Another disadvantage of presently available utensils is evident at the point where the blade joins the handle. In current designs, a gap forms at the joint between the blade and handle. This gap is difficult to access, making the instrument difficult to clean and a possible bacteria carrier. In addition, because of the difference in expansion and contraction rates between rubber and wood, there is a tendency, after repeated cycles of heating and cooling, for the blade and handle to separate.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a utensil that has a highly heat-resistant blade which is not susceptible to burning, melting, permanently bending, cracking, or staining. Another object of the invention is to provide a utensil with a heat-resistant handle which will not easily melt, scorch, discolor or absorb odors. A further object is to provide a utensil which resists separation and has no gap where the blade and handle join.
The present invention has been described with respect to certain embodiments and conditions which are not meant to and should not be construed to limit the scope of the invention. Those skilled in the art will understand that variations from the embodiment and conditions described herein may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.